KSR Today: Kentucky Baseball advances to Super Regional
With basketball roster uncertainty/anxiety and still… [checks calendar] 88 days until football season, it hasn’t been the most fun time to be a Kentucky fan, but last night, the baseball team gave us the feel-good moment we needed. In front of a record crowd at Kentucky Proud Park, the Bat Cats defeated Indiana 4-2 to advance to the Super Regional for only the second time in school history. They’ll face LSU in Baton Rouge in a best-of-three series starting Friday or Saturday, times to be determined.
The way it happened is pretty remarkable. Indiana beat Kentucky on Saturday night to send the Cats to the loser’s bracket. From there, the Bat Cats pulled off two huge wins on Sunday — beating West Virginia 10-0 and Indiana 16-6 — to avoid elimination and set up a winner-take-all showdown last night. The Hoosiers took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Kentucky scored two runs to go up 2-1. Indiana tied it up in the second; thankfully, a big sixth inning gave the Cats control.
Catcher Devin Burkes — who went on to earn Most Outstanding Player of the Regional — opened the bottom of the sixth with a double down the left field line. Hunter Gilliam did the same one out later, sending Burkes home to score the game-winning run. Leftfielder Ryan Waldschmid then doubled to right center, sending Gilliam home to make it 4-2. Sophomore Mason Moore pitched the final five innings, holding the Hoosiers scoreless to seal the deal and Kentucky’s spot in the Super Regional.
I am not a baseball fan, but these Cats have made me a believer, and man did my BBN soul need it. Let’s revel in it a little more before we focus on LSU. You may recall that earlier this season, the Tigers (then No. 1, now No. 5) won the series vs. Kentucky 2-1 in Baton Rouge. The Cats will seek revenge for a spot in Omaha this weekend.
Mingione reflects in emotional postgame press conference
Just as in 2017, Kentucky had to win three straight games to take the regional. When asked how this run compares to that one, Nick Mingione — who was on the hot seat coming into this season — couldn’t hold back his emotions.
“That’s my favorite thing to do as a coach,” Mingione said of the victory dogpile. “This team was built a long time ago. When you think about recruiting in baseball, guys commit when they’re freshmen in high school, and sophomores. And to have all those guys come through and deliver in that moment and watch them celebrate, it doesn’t get any better as a coach because they’re the ones that have made the pitches. They’re the ones that have made the plays. They are the ones that went to the workouts. They’re the ones that went to class. They’re the ones that do it.
“And when you get a chance to just see pure joy, it’s one of the best feelings as a coach. That’s the only thing you could ever hope for on a field is to watch your team celebrate. And I was soaking it in. And I was loving every second of it.”
Highlights and More Celebration Clips
Dr. Mike’s Photo Gallery
KSR’s Rapid Reaction
We’ll be digging into baseball leftovers throughout the day. Here’s what else we’ll be talking about.
Kentucky Football Official Visitors on Campus
Elsewhere on campus, this is a busy week for the Kentucky Football coaching staff, which is hosting a camp today along with several official visitors. Four-star cornerback Terhyon Nichols (No. 281 overall in the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings) began his official visit to Kentucky on Monday. Today, he’ll be joined by three-star wide receiver Brandon Rehmann (No. 647 overall in 2024) and three-star linebacker Steven Soles (No. 818 overall). Zack Geoghegan is attending UK’s camp this morning and will report back with updates.
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This weekend is when things really heat up. Over a dozen four- and three-star recruits — including all three of Kentucky’s 2024 commits and Jonathan Daniels, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 class — will begin their official visits on Friday. We’ve got a running guest list rolling on KSBoard, along with all the latest scoop on who may make a surprise trip to Lexington. Take advantage of our new KSR+ Summer Special to check it out.
Final day of Pangos All-American Camp
Jack Pilgrim is in Sin City to cover the Pangos All-American Camp, a gathering of the 120 best high school basketball players. As you might expect, there are several Kentucky targets in action, including top 10 2024 talents Flory Bidunga and Boogie Fland; 2025 Woodford County star Jasper Johnson (who told KSR he is transferring to prep powerhouse Link Academy); Ahmad Nowell, a former teammate of current Wildcat Justin Edwards; Kon Knueppel; Jalil Bethea; and Nate Guerengomba. I’ll admit that I had no idea who those last three were before reading Jack’s Day One roundup yesterday, but apparently, they are stars on the rise and we need to get familiar with them.
Once the sun rises in the desert, Jack will be by to share his thoughts on night two of the camp. Brandon Ramsey is watching from afar and offering his thoughts on Kentucky’s targets on KSBoard as well. The all-star games tip off after lunch; if you’ve got a BallerTV subscription, you can stream them live.
Jordan Burks continues visit; Commitment tomorrow
Speaking of recruiting, a potential member of next season’s team is currently on Kentucky’s campus. 2023 three-star forward Jordan Burks arrived in Lexington on Sunday night for an official visit. The 6-9 forward was originally committed to Ole Miss but backed off when Kermit Davis was fired. He led Overtime Elite scoring this past season with 27.1 points on 46.7% shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Burks will announce his college decision live on Paper Route with I Am Athlete Wednesday at noon ET. Will it be Kentucky? We’ll keep passing along news as we get it.
Happy birthday, Gatsby!
My sweet, old dog is now 17. She’s already spoiled rotten but will receive extra love and treats today. That starts now with her morning walk, which she’s been not-so-patiently waiting for the last ten minutes. I better catch up quick!
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